Japanese Teas

SENCHA TEA

Sencha is made from the first picking of the leaves in the spring. The freshly picked leaves are steamed (in order to de-enzyme the tea and enhance the green color), followed by alternate draying and rolling. Sencha has a high vitamin C content. Sencha has a higher content of theanine (an amino acid), which, with lower caffeine and catechin because of processing, makes for a full-bodied, sweeter tea.

Sencha is made for you in the Japanese style using a small sencha pot and Japanese style small cups. The leaves are good for multiple pours.

OKUMIDORI SENCHA

I invite you to experience one of the premier Japanese teas. Okumidori is prized for its handcrafted rolled leaves, and the appealing balance of its young apple blossom bouquet and fresh vegetal afterglow. Origin: Kumamoto in southern Japan. $6.00 per person.

KAWANE SENCHA

Kawane is the mountain region of Shizuoka prefecture, Japan’s largest tea-growing region. Needle-shaped tea leaves yield a deep yellow liquor with a complex savory plum aroma. The flavor is bittersweet and vegetal with a lingering ripe aftertaste. $6.00 per person.

TOMO SENCHA

Produced in the first crop season, our premium-tier sencha makes every cup of tea seem particularly special. Sit back, and savor its flavorful echoes of grass, straw and late afternoon sun. Naturally abundant in Vitamin C. $4.00 per person.

GYOKURO TEA
Gyokuro is Japan’s most expensive, highest quality tea and it is grown, picked and processed with extreme care and skill. The bushes are kept under 90 % shade for about 20 days prior to harvesting. Just as the new leaf buds start to form, the bushes are covered with bamboo, reed or canvas mats and the reduced light forces the plant to produce higher concentration of chlorophyll and darker green leaves.

UJI GYOKURO
The foggy climate of Uji (Japanese) and the painstaking shade-growing methods create a pedigreed tea, exceptional for its subtle, fruity fragrances. Creamy in consistency, the infusion first suggests the subtle sweetness of ripe pear, only to give way to a rich and pungent finish. Best experienced by itself. $7.50 per person

UJI KABUSE
Like the famed gyokuro, the tea known as kabuse-cha is shade grown but for a shorter amount of time. This process creates a tea with the freshness of sencha and the richness of gyokuro. This particular tea comes from the famed Uji region outside of Kyoto. Enjoy its deep, mildly sweet flavor and vibrant green color. $4 per person

MATCHA

Matcha, the very fine green powdered tea used for the Japanese Tea Ceremony, is made by grinding Tencha, a finely chopped tea made in the same way as Gyokuro. Before the leaves are gathered, the bushes are shaded in the same way as for Gyokuro and then slightly larger leaves are harvested, steamed and dried but are not rolled. Instead the veins and stems are removed and the remaining leaf parts are ground to a very fine powder. To prepare this for the Tea Ceremony, the powder is measured into a Chawan (tea bowl) with a bamboo scoop and whisked into hot water with a specially crafted bamboo whisk.

(Gyokuro is Japan’s most expensive, highest quality tea and it is grown, picked and processed with extreme care and skill. The bushes are kept under 90 % shade for about 20 days prior to harvesting. Just as the new leaf buds start to form, the bushes are covered with bamboo, reed or canvas mats and the reduced light forces the plant to produce higher concentration of chlorophyll and darker green leaves.)

Matcha is presented at the White Dragon in the fashion called Chakai. This presentation is less formal than the centuries-old traditional Japanese tea ceremony or Chado…The Way of Tea. Bowls may be shared and the atmosphere is less formal and more conversational than the stricter, classic form of Chado as presented in traditional Japanese culture.

TEAS TEA MATCHA
This matcha welcomes with a crispy defined taste-impressively direct and invigorating- that finishes its flavor cycle with a measure of astringency. $4.50 per person

NINJA MATCHA…HANO NO EN MATCHA
Enthusiasts of Hano no en Matcha admire its medium body and sprightly layers of flavor. A noticeable glow of spice gives way to a mouth-filling leafy finish. Drink this if you want to improve alertness to hone your Ninja skills. $6 per person

SAMURAI MATCHA…KOTO NO TSUKI MATCHA
This Matcha is one of Japan’s most revered teas. In the tea ceremony this stone-ground matcha is whisked with a bamboo whisk to make “OKOICHA” (thick tea). Generously rich and bright, it lingers on the palate with a sweet herbaceous aftertaste. Remember a Samurai must leave his sword outside the tearoom. $7.50 per person

SCHOLAR’S MATCHA…CEREMONIAL GRADE
Aiya’s Ceremonial Matcha is their flagship product. This grade of Matcha is perfect for daily consumption. Ceremonial Matcha contains the highest color quality, nutrient value and taste for the frequent user. Perfect for the scholar or matcha addict who wants insight. $8.50 per person

COOKING GRADE MATCHA
This grade of Matcha is specially blended for food and beverage ingredient purposes. This grade is great for smoothies, lattes and cooking projects that call for excellent quality matcha. Sold by the pouch